Leash anchor for surfboard

ABSTRACT

An anchor for mounting on a surfboard adjacent its trailing end for connection to a leash includes a plug element defined by opposed front and back ends and elongate, spaced-apart non-parallel sides extending from the front and back ends. The elongate sides may taper inwardly, and the plug element is sized to be inserted and seat within a complementary cavity formed in the deck of the surfboard, adjacent its trailing edge. The cavity is dimensioned with tapering sides as well, thereby to inhibit rearward movement of the plug element relative to the surfboard. The plug element, in a preferred embodiment, has elongate sides which give the plug element the overall appearance of a triangle, or truncated pyramid shape.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates to surfboards and more particularly to anchors or plugs which are mounted on surfboards for securing to a leash which in turn is connected to a surfer's lower leg so that the surfboard can be retained or connected to the surfer and not swept away or lost after the surfer falls into the ocean, lake or river.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The use of anchors or plugs for securing a leash to a surfboard are well known in the art. One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,205 where an article in the form of a plug is mounted into a cavity formed in the trailing edge of a surfboard. The plug is held in the cavity by an adhesive, and a leash extends through an opening in the rear of the plug, and has an opposite end adapted to be secured to the lower leg of a surfer. The plug is shaped as a substantially flat plate having elongate, parallel sides which are grooved. The grooves are provided to hold adhesive, and the parallel sides are shown as being parallel to the sides of the cavity.

Another example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,861 where a generally cylindrical plug receptacle is received within a cylindrical aperture within a surfboard foam core. A generally cylindrical leash plug is received within the plug receptacle to which an ankle leash may be secured.

Yet another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,510 where a leash attachment is described as including an integral plastic body having a substantially flat bottom face and a contoured top. The contoured top defines an eye large enough to receive a leash.

The above are deemed to be representative examples of the prior art related to leash attachments, but there are many other examples.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is directed to an anchor for mounting on a surfboard adjacent its trailing end for connection to a leash, such as an ankle leash, and includes a plug element formed as a unit defined by opposed first and second or front and back ends and elongate, spaced-apart non-parallel sides extending from the front and back ends. The elongate sides may taper inwardly, from the front to the back or what would correspond to the trailing edge of the plug element. The plug element is sized to be inserted and seat within a complementary cavity formed in the deck of the surfboard, adjacent its trailing edge. The cavity is dimensioned with tapering sides as well, thereby to inhibit rearward movement of the plug element relative to the surfboard. The plug element, in a preferred embodiment, has elongate sides which give the plug element the overall appearance of a triangle, or truncated pyramid shape.

The plug element includes an opening provided on the vertical face of its back end or trailing edge, which extends through an internal passage or channel to an opening emerging from the top surface of the plug. The two free ends of a cord may be extended into the opening on the back end or trailing edge and through the passage, and then knotted, with the cord forming a loop at the opposite end outside of the opening at the trailing edge, to which a leash may be attached. The knotted ends prevent the cord from being pulled or forcibly removed outwardly from the passage. The leash proper then, is attached to the looped cord. The leash conventionally will include an ankle strap.

The plug element is secured or bonded to the bottom and side walls of the cavity by a suitable bonding agent or adhesive such as an epoxy resin or the like. The shape of the plug element, with its sides which taper from the front to the back end, will wedge into the side walls of the cavity because of the narrowing width of the cavity. This wedging action may become very important if, over time, the adhesive becomes loosened. If a rearward force is applied to the leash, the plug element will tend to become further wedged and gripped by the side walls of the cavity, substantially inhibiting inadvertent detachment of the plug element, and corresponding loss of the surfboard in the water.

Advantages of the present disclosure will be more readily understood after considering the drawings and the detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the plug element of the present disclosure, with dashed lines showing features normally hidden from view;

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the plug element;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view, directly facing the back end or trailing edge of the plug element;

FIG. 4 shows a bottom plan view of the plug element;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the trailing end of a surfboard showing a cavity routed out from the upper deck at the trailing end thereof prior to mounting of the plug element;

FIG. 6 is a top view similar to FIG. 5 showing the plug element mounted in the cavity prior to application of the adhesive or bonding agent;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view, similar to FIGS. 5 and 6 showing the plug element mounted in the cavity and secured by adhesive; the adhesive is shown sanded or finished to provide a smooth surface after the adhesive has cured; and

FIG. 8 is a top plan view, similar to FIGS. 5-7 showing the mounted and secured plug element with the knotted cord and attached leash and ankle strap ready for use.

The drawings illustrate embodiments and schematic concepts of the leash anchor for a surfboard according to the present disclosure. The purpose of these drawings is to aid in explaining the principles of the leash anchor, the plug element and the cavity. Thus, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosure to the embodiments and schematic concepts shown therein. Other embodiments of the leash anchor may be created which follow the principles of the disclosure as taught herein, and these other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of patent protection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The Plug Element and Cavity Formed in the Surfboard

As stated at the outset herein, the present disclosure is directed to an anchor for mounting on a surfboard adjacent its trailing edge for connection to a leash. By “surfboard,” it is meant conventional surfboards as well as other types of boards used in the surf, such as stand up boards, paddle boards, rescue boards, etc., or even boards used in lakes and rivers. The anchor may include a plug element formed as a unit having opposed front and back ends and elongate, spaced-apart non-parallel sides extending from the front and back ends. The elongate sides may taper inwardly, from the front end to the back end, or what would correspond to the trailing edge of the plug element.

The plug element is sized to seat within a complementary cavity formed in the deck of the surfboard adjacent its trailing edge. The cavity is dimensioned with tapering sides as well, approximating the shape of the plug element, although larger, so the plug element may fit or seat inside. If the plug element is pulled or forced rearwardly, as by a force exerted on the leash, it will become more wedged in the cavity, due to the tapered sides, and rearward movement and detachment of the plug element thereby is inhibited relative to the surfboard. The plug element, in a preferred embodiment, may have elongate sides which give it the overall appearance of a triangle, or truncated pyramid shape.

As shown in FIG. 1, an anchor according to the present disclosure is shown generally at 10, formed in an injection molding process to define a plug element 12 which may include a stepped construction. The plug element may be molded as a unit, or in components which may be assembled. It may be thought of as a tapered block of material having front and back ends, 14 and 16, respectively, and opposed, non-parallel or in this instance, tapered side walls 18 and 20. The key is that the side walls must not be parallel, or at least have portions which are not parallel. The upper surface of the block, indicated at 22, is substantially planar, and it can be seen that there are a plurality of spaced-apart projections or “ribs,” such as indicated at 24-36, which are formed around the perimeter (see also FIG. 2).

Rib 24 wraps around front end 14, and a plurality of spaces between the ribs, such as shown generally at 38-42, and 44-48, ensure that adhesive will have extra surface area to provide bonding of the plug element to the cavity, as will be described subsequently. It is to be noted that the outer surfaces or faces of the ribs, such as those shown at 26-36 are aligned to define tapered sides, corresponding to the tapered form of side walls 18 and 20.

FIG. 1 also illustrates in dashed lines the provision of an internal channel or passage 50 which extends from an opening 52 formed at the trailing edge or back end 16 to an opening 54 formed internally which communicates with an opening 56 which in turn emerges from upper surface 22. In a manner to be later described, the free ends of a cord are inserted through opening 52, threaded internally and along passage 50 and pushed through opening 54 to extend upwardly out of opening 56, where the ends can be tied in a knot, which cannot be pulled outwardly through opening 54. The other end of the cord, which extends outwardly from opening 52, is formed as a loop. That loop will then have the leash attached thereto. While a single opening is shown at 52, two openings may be provided, and a cord could have one end pushed through that opening and looped around to return through the second opening, and then knotted together.

FIGS. 3 and 4 further delineate construction of the plug element; specifically, FIG. 3 shows the stepped construction of the ribs relative to the side walls and the provision of opening 52 in the trailing edge or back end 16 of the plug element. The ribs are further shown in the bottom plan view of FIG. 4, and it can be seen that the bottom surface of the plug element is relatively expansive, an important feature because the adhesive or bonding agent will be applied to that entire surface, when the plug element is mounted in the cavity formed in the trailing edge of the surfboard. Additionally, that bottom surface may be roughened, further to enhance purchase with the adhesive and bottom of the cavity.

Reference has previously been made to the cavity which is formed in the trailing edge of the surfboard. This cavity will be cut, through suitable means, as by use of a router or the like, through the deck of the surfboard, to penetrate or extend anywhere from about ½ to ¾ to almost all the way through the thickness of the surfboard's foam core. The cavity is formed so that it includes non-parallel sides or ones which are complementary to receive the plug element. The shape and form of the cavity can best be appreciated by a viewing of FIG. 5. Here, the trailing edge 60 of a surfboard is shown with a cavity generally indicated at 62, which has been routed out through the deck of the surfboard into the foam core. In this example, the cut at the front end of the cavity is indicated at 64, and the sides of the cavity, shown at 64 and 66, extend rearwardly therefrom, shaped to taper like the sides of the plug element to be inserted, but of course larger.

Mounting and Securing the Plug Element in the Cavity

FIG. 6 shows plug element 12 positioned in cavity 62, and it can be readily seen that the tapered side walls of the plug element as well as the tapered outer surfaces of the side ribs nest in close proximity to tapered walls 66 and 68. It is to be understood that the bottom surface of the cavity has been coated with adhesive, such as epoxy, and the next step is for epoxy to be applied so as to fill completely all existing gaps between the ribs and side walls 18 and 20 and tapered walls 66 and 68. After a sufficient curing time has elapsed, the epoxy extending above the deck is sanded, ground down or otherwise buffed to ensure a smooth surface between the plug element and the deck.

This final, overall finished result is shown in FIG. 7, where epoxy 70 is shown filling all gaps, and smoothed off so it is essentially level with the deck of the surfboard. As a yet further step, a suitable colored finish may now be applied so the surfboard and the plug element to present a final, substantially co-planar surface, esthetically pleasing in appearance.

At this point, the leash may now be attached to the plug element. This is accomplished as shown in FIG. 8. First, the free ends of a cord 72 (sometimes called a “string”), indicated at 72 a and 72 b, are inserted through opening 52 of the plug element and pushed all the way through passage 50 (hidden in FIG. 8) to emerge through opening 56. At this point the free ends are tied into a knot, as shown at 72 c, and the other end of the cord remains as a loop, as at 72 d. The leash is then connected in conventional manner to the cord. The leash will have an ankle strap, as shown.

The configuration of the plug element, with its non-parallel, or in this case tapering sides, ensures that it will be substantially retained in the cavity, when a rearward force is applied, assuming that the adhesive may become partially loosened. The wedging action may be accomplished by non-parallel sides, or at least opposed sides which have portions which are non-parallel. It the sides were completely parallel, the plug element could slide outwardly.

While embodiments of a leash anchor for a surfboard have been particularly shown and described, many variations may be made therein. This disclosure may include one or more independent or interdependent embodiments directed to various combinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties. Other combinations and sub-combinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed later in a related application. Such variations, whether they are directed to different combinations or directed to the same combinations, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element, or combination thereof, is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application.

It is believed that the disclosure set forth herein encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. Each example defines an embodiment disclosed in the foregoing disclosure, but any one example does not necessarily encompass all features or combinations that may be eventually claimed.

Where the description recites “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, such description includes one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Further, ordinal indicators, such as first, second or third, for identified elements are used to distinguish between the elements, and do not indicate a required or limited number of such elements, and do not indicate a particular position or of such elements unless otherwise specifically stated. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An anchor for mounting on a surfboard adjacent its trailing end for connection to a leash comprising: a plug element formed as a unit defined by opposed front and back ends and elongate, spaced-apart non-parallel sides extending from the front and back ends, wherein the plug element is sized to seat within a complementary cavity formed in the surfboard, wherein the cavity is dimensioned to inhibit rearward movement of the plug element relative to the surfboard.
 2. The anchor as defined in claim 1 wherein the non-parallel sides of the plug element taper inwardly from the plug element's front end to its back end.
 3. The anchor as defined in claim 2 wherein an opening is provided on the back end of the plug element leading to an internal passage which emerges to an opening adjacent the upper surface of the plug element so that a cord may be threaded through the opening on the back end, the passage and outwardly through the upper opening.
 4. The anchor as defined in claim 3 wherein the non-parallel sides are provided with spaced-apart ribs.
 5. The anchor as defined in claim 4 wherein the spaced-apart ribs, on each of the non-parallel sides, define sides which taper to a profile conforming generally to the taper of the non-parallel sides.
 6. The anchor of claim 5 wherein the non-parallel sides are dimensioned so that the plug element is formed generally in a triangular shape.
 7. An assembly of an anchor mounted in a cavity formed on the deck of a surfboard adjacent its trailing edge for connection to a leash comprising: a plug element formed as a unit defined by opposed front and back ends and elongate, spaced-apart non-parallel sides extending from the front and back ends, a complementary cavity formed in the surfboard's deck adjacent its trailing edge, the cavity defined by sides dimensioned to enable the plug element to be inserted and seated therewithin but which also inhibit the plug element from rearward movement relative to the surfboard.
 8. The anchor and cavity assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein the non-parallel sides of the plug element taper inwardly from the plug element's front end to its back end.
 9. The anchor and cavity assembly as defined in claim 8 wherein an opening is provided on the back end of the plug element leading to an internal passage which emerges to an opening adjacent the upper surface of the plug element so that a cord may be threaded through the opening on the back end, the passage and outwardly through the upper opening.
 10. The anchor and cavity assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein the non-parallel sides are provided with spaced-apart ribs.
 11. The anchor and cavity assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein the spaced-apart ribs, on each of the non-parallel sides, define sides which taper to a profile conforming generally to the taper of the non-parallel sides.
 12. The anchor and cavity assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein the non-parallel sides are dimensioned so that the plug element is formed generally in a triangular shape. 